How to Keep Air Travel as Stress-Free as Possible

There are many things about air travel that could the experience more stressful than it should be. While it is impossible to predict everything that can potentially affect your overall experience, you can at least control some of the variables to make it as pleasant as possible. From preparing your own flight survival kit or making simple tweaks in your in-flight habits, here are some of the things you can do to make air travel a more pleasant experience.

1. Plan the important details in advance. Pick the right seat for you when booking your flight or upon check-in. Take time to consider the pros and cons of choosing your seat and select one that best suits you. This may seem like a simple thing but sitting in the “wrong” seat can cause you a lot of unnecessary stress.

2. Dress for comfort and convenience, but make sure that your choice of clothes meets the airlines’ requirements. The last thing you want is to be off-loaded or denied boarding just because you are wearing something the airline considers unacceptable.

3. Bring your own sleep kit like a comfortable or ergonomic neck pillow and a lightweight and compact blanket that will keep you warm during long-haul flights. You can also have your eye mask and ear buds ready to help you sleep better.

4. If you cannot sleep or prefer to do something else, make the most of your time by reading whatever e-books you have on your Kindle, phone, or tablet. Or you can explore the airline’s in-flight entertainment or watch films you have downloaded on your laptop or tablet.